As summer vacation ends, families around the county are making commute plans to get to school on time and without traffic headaches. In Albany, families at Ocean View Elementary School have extra logistics to manage since students will be housed at four different schools as the school is rebuilt! A group of committed parents and partners are working to ensure walking and bicycling are part of the commute solution.

Silvia Yee and Rachel Sarah, Ocean View’s SR2S parent champions, anticipated the move and began planning for school transportation changes early this spring. Esther Ramer, an Ocean View parent and University Village resident, represented UC Berkeley student parents who must balance getting their children to other campuses and themselves to UC Berkeley on time. Ken McCroskey, a long time SR2S champion, Albany Traffic and Safety Commissioner, and Albany Strollers & Rollers member contributed expertise to the cause!

Together, these four parents coordinated a variety of active and healthy options. Rachel will be leading a daily bike train, and University Village staff is stepping up to organize Walking School Bus routes. In addition, they hosted a special back-to-school dinner and transportation fair for families focused on “How to Get to School Safely During Construction” to help families understand their walking, bicycling, carpooling and transit options. This steadfast team of parents reached out to a host of local partners and agencies to make sure that all the families at Ocean View have a viable commute plan before school starts.